Before the war 1

The beast left.

The cave was enormous, but not empty.

Surprisingly, based on appliance present here, it doesn't look like a beast's habitat.

Rather, it more looked like a human dwelling.

Tetra and Vesemir searched carefully until they found a hill of corpses.

"Witcher!" Tetra called. Her voice was filled with shock.

"I do have a name, you know." Vesemir came near.

"ugh!"

The smell was horrible.

"what was done to them?" [Vesemir]

"They are all humans…. Kaedwen's soldiers… failure of mutation." Vesemir felt bad. He didn't like it where it was going.

Soon they found a dead body of a witcher on a chair in front of a table.

"Zod!" Vesemir recognised this guy.

Zod was also a witcher from the school of wolf.

Vesemir checked his breath. "Dead."

"No external injuries, no sighs of poison… a sudden cardiac arrest?" Vesemir observed.

On the other hand, Tetra's interest was on the instruments on the table.

Tetra walked towards the instruments, "The Basilisk genes were spliced with those of an Insectoid."

"It explains its unnatural power."

"It's a crossbreed."

"The same way you were made." [Tetra]

"What are you getting at?" [Vesemir]

"Experimented corpse, the witcher Zod from kaer Morhen, and Mutagenic Alchemy." Tetra picked up the potion from the table.

"Its secrets known only to mages at kaer Morhen." Tetra's gaze was sharp. "You're behind all this."

"That's ridiculous." Vesemir shook his head, "why would we do that?"

"You need coins." Tetra said.

"Witchers are struggling, yes… "

Before he finished his talk, something clicked in Vesemir's mind.

He remembered a talk he had with Deglan.

"Shame. A few new beasts would be… food for business." Deglan said.

Tetra interrupted Vesemir's thought, "more monsters, more jobs, more coin. Another sharp coin."

"I swear, I didn't know."

"It matters not anymore, witcher." Tetra's face darkened, "you started a war witchers, you'll have the Kaedwen's army to answer with."

****

Inside the royal court of Kaedwen, a grim talk was taking place.

"Madam Gilcrest has given Proof." King Dagread said.

He was feeling angry and tried his best to keep his poker face as much as he could.

Someone killed a huge number of his soldiers!

That to in an inhumane experiment!

How can he be not angry?!

"Witchers Kind breeds monstrosities! terrorizes my kingdom! And swindles the people!" [King Dagread]

Illiana walked front before she kneeled and said.

"Sire, many of the witchers were aware of these crossbreeds."

The sudden turn of Illiana Zerbst surprised the Kaedwen court.

Wasn't she always with witchers?!

Why was she standing against the witchers now?!

"Lady Zerbst, you astounded us. We thought you were the testament to perils of trusting a servant. But you've proved us wrong." King Dagread continued,

"It's delighting to know the Kaedwen's law regarding the empowering of honorary titles isn't wrong."

"If it pleases you, sire, might I ask where Madam Gilcrest is now?" Illiana asked.

King Dagread gave a deep look before he said.

"I assigned madam Gilcrest with 20,000 soldiers and 5000 cavalry unit. The army marches as we speak."

Illiana Zerbst got shocked!

With such a vast army, King Dagread seems determined to remove Kaer Morhen from Kaedwen!

****

Kaer Morhen.

On the way to the underground laboratory.

BOOM!

Vesemir Blew up the door! Walked down the Stairs carrying a torch.

He could hear the sounds of bubbling of liquids as he reached the underground laboratory.

There were many pools filled with green liquid.

Vesemir reached towards one of the pool.

A small beast swam inside the pool. It was the kid-version of mutated basilisk.

The little basilisk screeched as it charged towards Vesemir.

Only to get its mouth stuck with touch, before Vesemir threw it back into the pool.

Illuminating the pool on green fire.

Vesemir observed the other structured, ready to blow it up with Aard. But stopped as he heard Deglan's voice.

"Monsters were going extinct." Deglan walked. However, his atmosphere seems threatening.

"I had to protect our way of life." Deglan said. "Think of all the coin you stand to make, young fella."

"Do not call me that." [Vesemir]

"Check your gratitude, boy." Deglan sneered. "You came to me."

"I could've shipped you right back to those Bedpans."

"Don't pretend you didn't know exactly what you were doing when you threw me those coins." Vesemir shouted. "You knew I would come. We were created to kill creatures like these, not to make them."

"I won't weep for doing what needed doing." Deglan said, "I told you…"

"A witcher never hesitates." [Vesemir]

"oh, I know." [Vesemir]

"hahaha." Deglan laughed before he mocked, "you were always too focused on the gold in your hand."

"You never looked up to see who's paying you. See their Eyes."

"we terrify 'em."

"The only thing keeping men from hunting us are the scarier beasts we keep away."

"Humans die quick, so they spend their lives fearing and hating." Deglan got near to Vesemir. "ask the dwarves or your elf friend."

"Men will always need monsters."

"Now, so do we."

"we're all orphans. We've always looked to you to protect us." Vesemir interrupted. "You have to burn it to the ground… or I will."

Deglan yelled as he dashed towards Vesemir, before his sword slashed down.

*clang!*

Sparks flew as Vesemir parried the slash with his sword.

But Deglan's sword didn't wait for him to stabilise his footing. The sword came from below.

Vesemir barely avoided it. But it sliced off the knot of the cloak.

The cloak fell.

"I don't want to fight you." [Vesemir]

"We've got to protect ourselves, Vesemir." [Deglan]

Swords swung many times; sparks flew any times as they clashed; a display of swordmanship.

"Got to protect you!" Deglan said. As he flung an Aard towards Vesemir.

Vesemir got hit, crashed back to the wall.

It created a distance. Before Deglan and Vesemir rushed towards each other.

"Hold it right there." Viz suddenly appeared between these guys.

Blasting Vesemir and Deglan back with Aard.

"An army is coming." Viz said.

His face was grim.